Hen mashing others' eggs in nest box!

[Wynette]

ACK! I have a large Jersey Giant hen that "seems" to be stomping on others' eggs in the nest box. She doesn't do it every day, but does do this a few times a week. She's not eating the mashed eggs. It's perplexing, as one day I'll find egg remnants (goo and shell), right alongside HER egg. Then, the next day, I'll find several eggs in the box, including hers, and no evidence of mashed eggs.

I thought at first that she was kicking it to the side & the egg was cracking upon impact with the wooden side of the nest box. So, I put lots of extra shavings in and sort of banked them up along all the sides of the nest boxes. This has not seemed to help. I think she is literally stomping on the other egg as she's turning round & round figuring out where she wants to settle down to lay.

I work during the day (DH does help collect, but asking him to go out & check hourly would be just WAY too much work for him), so I do not know for certain what is happening. If she IS stomping on the other eggs, is there anything I can do to stop this behavior? Could it be that she feels the nest box is too small? It's 14" x 14", should be plenty large enough...yesterday, I found 3 eggs in the nest box, one of which was hers. So no stomping yesterday...this is perplexing and annoying!

Any thoughts?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I never really caught why you think she is stomping them? You usually have a reason for your conclusions, but I don't see it here.

Some thoughts. Something eating the eggs, not on an everyday basis but every few days. Could be a rat, possum, skunk? You may be falsely accusing her. I have to ask the obvious.

Is one laying a thin shelled egg? Something like that can be genetic to the individual hen no matter how much oyster shell is available. This would be my first thought.

They stand up when they lay them. I'm pretty sure you have already checked, but is there a nail head or something sticking up like that one could hit on the way down.

I did have an egg eater once that did not eat an egg every day, maybe every other day. Sometimes it would be in a nest, sometimes on the coop floor. All the egg was not eaten. Plenty of shell and goop left.

My brain just imploded. All I can think of.

Good luck. This type of thing can really be frustrating.

 

[Wynette]

Thanks for the feedback; I am sure it's not another critter eating them now - I caught the culprit. It's a young pullet that must just be beginning to lay. I found her in the nest box, when I lifted the lid (access is from the outside), she hopped out - saw goo & shells clinging to her feet, and saw two eggs mashed in the box. She was standing when I caught her. I hadn't even considered that maybe she's laying a softshell egg - especially since she's a young layer, definitely a possibility - or, that she's got a genetic fault & is laying softshells due to that.

The reason I was sure it was a hen is that they are not mashed each day, but I guess you are right & it could be that they are not being eaten each day if this is what's going on. I'll get eggs that are untouched & just fine, and have been in the nestbox for hours for a few days in a row, then, all mashed, or just one or two mashed, and a third/fourth intact making me think this hen was the #3 layer for the day, and the subsequent layers laid their eggs in the already mashed leftovers. I don't think someone is eating, though, because at the least, they typically eat the yolk, and I'm finding that in the box. I'm so frustrated I could spit. I have customers waiting for eggs.

I separated this black hen with a buddy for the day today for the first time (I'd been removing hens one by one each day to try to identify the culprit). I'll be checking on her as often as I can, since I'll be home all day. Maybe I can witness what's going on. Sigh...Meantime, just collected 2 beautiful eggs - intact & clean - from the Jersey coop. I guess if this continues, even while separated, I'll just need to put her down. Hate to do so, as she's a really, really nice hen. But, I can't put this much time into one pen each day.